Telenovelas: A Real Eye-Opener

Throughout the entirety of this semester, learning about telenovelas and their structures have been one of the best experiences in my college career. Though I didn't exactly know what to expect in the beginning, my previous experience with telenovelas, as a child, had me hopeful and I was not disappointed. From learning about what exactly a telenovela was and differentiating it between a soap opera, to learning about how these dramas are consumed, these topics helped me uncover why my family had always watched them throughout my childhood and now. There were a handful of topics during the semester, and there really wasn't one that I didn't like.

For example, one that I really enjoyed was the section on consumption, something that seemed obvious but never crossed my mind as a study. What really helped me understand the topic of consumption was, of course, the consumption presentation around the end of the semester. In regard to consumption, everyone tends to consume their show through different platforms, be it social media platforms, blogs or forums. In El Senor de los Cielos, though this telenovela illustrates quite a few political problems going on in Latin America, the audience tends to use said platforms for mainly exchanging opinions on the show rather than the political disasters.

Aside from consumption, what also caught my attention was the conversation that the class had with Lisa Wegscheider and the International Market. Since the beginning of the class, I had wondered how telenovelas ended up on TV or platforms, such as Netflix, Hulu, etc. From our conversation with Lisa, the realm of distribution has definitely gotten convoluted due to so much content being produced nowadays, along with how long these dramas are. What really got me thinking was the importance on telenovela length and Latin America's view on Turkish dramas. When it comes to shorter telenovelas, those in Latin American countries may view it in a skeptical way, considering how long the shows have been in the past. Something else that I found interesting, was how Lisa told us about the instant acceptance of Turkish telenovelas in Latin American countries. Be it a good or bad one, there are some countries that will buy it just because it is a Turkish drama. 

Looking back on this semester, and the final day at Dr. A's house, this class has definitely been one of my favorite in Grady. I never thought of how much I would learn, not only about this class, but in regard to my culture. Though I knew telenovelas had a great presence throughout Mexico and the rest of Latin America, I wasn't aware of the Brazilian and Turkish competition. All this time, I had assumed that telenovelas were a Mexico thing only, with some being broadcasted in the rest of Central and South America, but I was very wrong. Learning about the different types of telenovelas, how they're consumed, how they're produced and the conflicts between producing staff has really opened my eyes in recognizing telenovelas as a critical part of culture that affects a multitude of countries throughout the world. 

Overall, what was your favorite part of the semester?